Every class, every semester, every year, there is at least one student who thinks that they know it all. This student makes it hard for class to operate the way it should. They are constantly talking and they always have questions that start with, “Are you sure," “Why” and “That doesn’t make sense,” as if the professor hasn’t been studying this for years. You just opened the book this semester and you already know so much, right? Well, these are five things your “average” classmates (like me) would like a “special” student like you to know.
1. There is a difference between being curious and thinking that you are the professor.
Curious, by definition, is when someone is eager to learn or know. When you are curious, you ask questions with hopes of getting answers. Asking questions rhetorically in hopes to prove a point is just annoying and the rest of us students just wish you’d shut up.
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2. Arguing with the professor just makes you look foolish.
News flash, the only person getting paid to teach a class is the professor you signed up for. None of us care about what you know unless it’s going to be on the test. Nine times out of 10, your theory on why what the professor briefly went over is wrong won’t be on there. You’re not in charge, and we aren’t paying you.
3. "Does anyone have any more questions?" is a rhetorical question.
Even the professor knows that. So, how about you do us all a favor and save the 144th question for after class because the rest of us would like to go home and maybe eat or watch a movie.
4. Please stop being an "ask-hole."
We don’t care about your personal problems or personal questions —
that is what office hours are for. Stop interrupting and let the professor teach so that we can get the lesson and leave.5. Keep your snotty remarks to yourself.
Your side comments create side conversations and side conversations are disruptive to the class. You wouldn’t want to be labeled as the disruptive student, would you? So, why don’t you just keep quiet and let the rest of us students be students.
We get it, you know everything. So now what we want from you is to be quiet so that we can know it too. For a person who knows so much, you would think that you’d know that you’re "grade A annoying." We understand that you want to stand out and that you want the professor to know exactly who you are. That’s fantastic. In fact, most students who are active are more likely to get letters of recommendations, even job recommendations. However, the rest of us want to get the lesson we are paying for during class hours; nothing more, nothing less. Professors make office hours for the other stuff. So, do everyone in your class a favor and just be quiet, please, we beg of thee.
Sincerely,
Your classmates
